Quick Wiki
- Full Name Arne Rudolf Ludvig Raab
- Occupation Businessman
- Nationality Norwegian
- Birth Date December 8, 1937
- Place Of Death Groot Drakenstein Mountains, Cape Town, South Africa
Arne Naess Jr. | Biography
By 19, Arne Naess Jr. had climbed over 20 major peaks in Norway.In January 2004, at the age of 66, Naess visited Johan Rupert in South Africa to climb a mountain in Rupert's estate. He set off on his own for the adventure and never returned.
Arne Naess Jr. was a successful Norwegian entrepreneur and mountaineer. He was also well recognized as the former husband of famous American singer Diana Ross.
Who is Arne Naess Jr.?
Arne Rudolf Ludvig Raab was born on 8 December 1937 in Germany. His father, August Oskar German Raab, was a German physician, while his mother Kristen Dekke Naess held Norway Nationality. After World War II, Arne's parents divorced, and he relocated to Norway to live with his mother and took her maiden name.
Naess started his journey in the shipping industry in 1964. Initially, he moved to New York and worked for his businessman uncle, Erling Dekke Naess. In 1968, Arne launched his own shipping and real estate business and became very successful. The most significant turning point came in his career with investing in an old IT company named Tandberg Data. In 2000, his shipping empire had an estimated value of around $600 million.
Spouse
Naess had been married thrice throughout his life. He married his first spouse, Filippa Kumlin d'Orey, in 1966. With her, he became father to three children, two daughters, and a son. However, the couple divorced, and Naess married his second wife and famous American singer Diana Ross.
Naess first met Diana during his trip to the island of the Bahamas in 1985. The same year, the couple tied knots and became parents to their two sons. They stayed together for around 14 years and later split in 1999. Following the divorce from Ross, Arne Naess spent the rest of his life with his third partner Camilla Astrup.
Children
The Norwegian climber, Arne Naess Jr., was the father to his total of seven children. He had three children, Christoffer, Katinka, and Leona, from his first marriage. Later he had Ross Arne Naess and Evan Olav from his marriage with Diana Ross. Finally, he became a father to his sons Nicklas and Louis from his relationship with Camilla Astrup.
Naess also had three stepdaughters from his marriage with Diana Ross.
Mountaineering & Cause of Death
Besides being a business tycoon, Arne Naesss Jr. had an immense passion for mountaineering. By 19, he had climbed over 20 major peaks in Norway. Talking about the risks of mountaineering during a TV interview, Arne said, "If I hadn't liked risks, I would rather have played tennis or golf."
On 13 January 2004, at the age of 66, Naess visited Johan Rupert in South Africa to climb a mountain in Rupert's estate. He set off on his own for the adventure and never returned. Reportedly, Naess was descending the cliff from mid-way due to thick mist. Unfortunately, his camming device that had to lock on the rocks became loose, and he suffered a fall of around 103 meters leading to his death.
Net Worth
As of 2004, the 66-year-old shipping magnate had a net worth of approximately $600 million. He owed this massive sum to his shipping and real estate business and many other companies he owned.
